A Night of Bonding
by buffyelliot
Summary: Cute little Cherry fluff, an old RP plot. Bounces back and forth between Rachel and Mike but I promise it's precious.


A Night of Bonding || Cherry

Mike Chang

"LEXI! LEXIIIIII!" Mike yelled outside of the door of his loft-style apartment as he managed to balance more groceries than he could handle. Unfortunately, he adhered to the philosophy of only making one trip when trying to get groceries into the house. "ALEXIS!" He belted out louder than before as his grip on the ton of food began to loosen. As soon as the door began to crack open, Mike rushed inside and nearly knocked his maid over in the process. Dropping the groceries on the table with as much tenderness as he could muster up with his already teetering grip, he glanced over at the middle-aged woman with peppered black hair with a sigh-coated laugh. "I'm so sorry, Lexi. I just…"

"You just bit off more than you can chew…again. You men are always so stubborn," she spoke freely as she closed the door with a shake of her head that spoke thousands of words about her many years of experience as a woman dealing with men. Mike enjoyed her little rants and couldn't help but to give another boyish laugh.

"Exactly. You can read me like a book, Lexi." Mike put his hands over his heart and gave her the best pout he had. She rolled her eyes with her usual amount of attitude, but he took no offense. That was exactly the way she always acted and, to be perfectly honest, he thought it was hilarious.

"So, Mike, what's with the groceries? I just went grocery shopping two days ago," she said as she walked over to help him unpack the food. Mike looked at her hand and playfully tapped it away, gesturing for her to sit instead.

"Rae's coming over and we ran out of vegan munchies. I stocked up. We're gonna have a movie marathon so vegan munchies are a must." Mike started to pull the groceries out of their respective bags, slapping Lexi's hands away again as she tried to assist. "I gave you the night off, woman. Go relax. Spa night or whatever you girls do on those nights off."

"Oh dear. I haven't been a girl in ages," she brushed off his statement as she muttered out the words.

"You don't look a day above 25, Lexi," Mike said with a wink and Lexi slapped his chest.

"Always the charmer,Michael." Mike didn't speak. There was no point arguing and he didn't disagree with the statement. It happened to be something he was very fond of. Lexi gave him a look that said she wouldn't be going anywhere until Rachel arrived. She was just about the only girl Lexi liked and didn't give an attitude to.

After a good five minutes of playful banter and sorting of groceries, the light and familiar rapping at the door broke the conversation. Mike turned to walk to the door, but Lexi beat him to it. "Miss Berry!" The woman let out a higher tone than usual, which was definitely saying something. Mike shook his head and leaned against the wall near the door with his arms crossed over his chest. Lexi pulled Rachel into a hug that nearly picked the girl up off the floor. He did his best not to laugh at the sight for fear of being punished for it later.

"Can I say hi now?" Mike asked with a sarcastic tone only to be met with a pair of glaring eyes from Lexi. She scoffed and finally let Rachel go. "Hey Rae," he spoke with a snicker that showed just how amused he was by everything. Mike wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "Looking good, hot shtuff!"

Rachel Berry

Excited wasn't the right word to explain how she felt about getting to hang out with Mike. Since Jesse was out of the apartment she'd quickly packed her overnight bag in an effort to avoid seeing him before she left. After the night before and her talk with Finn Rachel was relieved to have a night away. It wasn't that she didn't love Jesse – on the contrary she loved him beyond reason of doubt – she just didn't feel the same about him as she felt for Finn and she would never be able to. Last night she'd promised herself she would make every effort to be better for Jesse and to Jesse but here she was practically running away. Spending the night with Mike was exactly what she needed. Musicals and dancing with her best friend would certainly allow her to forget any emotional distress she may be dealing with. Besides, she needed to really as Mike how he was doing. They hadn't been able to get together in a little while and she'd missed him awfully, almost as much as she'd worried.

When her bag was packed she picked it up along with her keys and sighed contently as she walked out to her car. Tomorrow she'd make up for it but for tonight she was done thinking about Jesse and Finn and everything that had to do with either of them. At least she hoped she was. Her Barbra Streisand CD was waiting for her so when she got in the car, turned it on, and began driving she was instantly greeted by the familiar voice of her idol. Quietly she sang along with the song that was playing, 'Tell Him'. It was a duet with Celine Dion that Rachel had always thought she and Kurt should perform. Sadly they'd never had their opportunity. The drive over to Mike's was short so she didn't need to feel frustration with New York traffic too long. Honestly the only thing she truly missed about Lima other than her dads and Glee Club was the difference in the community. People in New York were just rude.

Rachel parked quickly when she got to Mike's and wasted no time in gathering her bag, the grocery bag with funions and a ring pop that she'd picked out to re-propose to Mike with, and the bottle of red wine that she'd picked up earlier. The sooner that she got out of the car and up to his front door the sooner she'd be able to leave all her worries behind her, she thought. With a smile on her face she locked the car and almost too quickly made her way to his door. She probably looked like she was on her way to an overnight stay with a boyfriend who'd been out of town or something from an outsider's perspective because she was practically buzzing with eagerness, but she didn't care.

As soon as she got to the door Rachel knocked gently and ran a hand through her loose hair. She heard footsteps on the other side of the door and a broad grin tugged at the corners of her lips. When she saw Alexis on the other side of the door she laughed lightly and allowed the other woman to pull her into a tight hug before reciprocating the gesture. "You have to remember to call me Rachel!" she said with a lighthearted laugh as she glanced at her best friend over Lexi's shoulder. Rachel smiled when Lexi let her go and looked up at Mike, "Hey handsome!" she said before tightly wrapping her arms around him. "You're looking pretty good yourself!"

Mike Chang

"I know. I've been trying to tell you, Rae. I'm a sexy bea-" Mike was stopped mid-sentence when Lexi slapped him upside the head. He looked back at her with wide eyes and a look on his face that questioned what he had done to deserve it. "You're just jealous!" With a bit of a squeal, he picked Rachel up and moved her in a way that left her blocked from Lexi's view. "Mine!" Lexi rolled her eyes and pressed her palm to her forehead.  
"Ay…this one," she scolded. Lexi grabbed her purse from the counter and walked back over to the duo. "Well, I just wanted to stay long enough to see Rachel," she said and put emphasis on the girl's name to show that, in a very rare moment, Lexi had actually listened to someone else's request. "You two stay out of trouble." She focused her glare on Mike and he threw his hands up in the air in a surrendering motion. It looked like he was just playing along, but part of him was actually afraid of the maid. She had a spit-fire demeanor that assured Mike that she'd bring a whole lot of violence his way if he didn't behave.  
"We will…I swear!" Mike looked back at Rachel and gave her a playful wink. It was a sly move, but not sly enough. Lexi waved softly to Rachel and then turned the wave into another slap upside his head. Losing his balance for a small second, Mike turned around fast enough to catch Lexi's final goodbye.  
Mike grumbled as he closed the door and rose his hand up to rub the back of his head. "You would think I would have gotten used to the slaps by now but I swear they just keep getting stronger." Shaking his head a little to kick off some of the painful sensation, he shuffled closer to Rachel and clung to her again. "I was interrupted from my hugging…In fact…." A look of true contemplation came across Mike's face. He hugged the girl tighter and started to walk her back into the living room. "I think I figured out a way to get us to the living room without me having to let go." He laughed as he tried to manuever with the girl and keep either of them from tripping, falling or running into things. "You must truly trust the Chang. I shall be your eyes Berry," he joked and actually managed to walk her into the living room. Mike loosened his group, but couldn't bring himself to let go completely."I'm almost done… I needed the hugs. I make no apologies."  
Glancing at the clock, he figured nearly suffocating the girl for two more minutes was good enough and finally let her go. "It hasn't even been that long since we hung out. Guess I just really missed you," he said with another wink. Mike glanced at the bags in her hands and took them, placing them on the coffee table. "I actually got you some vegan munchies. You bring me funions, I cater to your vegan needs." His hand rose up to gesture back toward the direction of the kitchen. "You wanna tag team a recipe before we get to watching the movie. We could work some Cherry talking and therapy in there. Food and therapy. How can you ever say no to an offer like that?" Mike smiled at her with a hint of innocence. He may have seemed overly excited to someone who didn't know what they were like together, but this was actually pretty normal. The guy practically lived for these bonding nights where they got to basically forget about anything and everyone to just relax and unwind. That and the talking always helped him. You get used to living with someone when you're married and when you do get divorced, there's a sense of loneliness that gets hard to shake. Rachel was great at helping him deal with it and, sometimes on rare occasions, he actually helped her with things.

Rachel Berry

Rachel giggled lightly when she felt Mike pick her up and move her out of Lexi's view. Almost like a little girl, shy of strangers, Rachel peaked out from around Mike's back with a smile. As the woman left Rachel grinned at the use of her first name before nodding, "We will." She said softly just as Mike said it and waved back with a laugh as Lexi hit Mike a second time. Her eyes were glowing with adoration as he complained about Lexi's scolding. The relationship Mike shared with his maid was certainly unique. Just when she was about to say something she noticed the look on his face and gazed at him with confusion. Hug interrupting had indeed happened so she was more than elated to hug him back when she felt his familiar arms wrap around her. "Trust the Chang." She repeated with a laugh and closed her eyes as she squeezed him just a little tighter while he backed her up into the living room.

"No apologies are needed, I think we could both use more of these hugs in our lives." She said quietly against his chest and let her eyes remain closed. Rachel was perfectly content just standing there wrapped up in her best friend's arms. After they'd become close Mike had become her source of comfort. He was the most reliable friend she'd ever known, he was loyal and protective. Although she didn't always completely understand it she felt an undeniable love for him that she'd always cherish. When he'd gotten married she'd been there with him, and then again when he'd gotten his divorce and everything seemed excruciatingly heartbreaking. Mike's pain over the loss of his unborn child had only reinforced her devotion to their friendship. She vowed to herself then that she would never stop being there for him any time he ever needed her and she'd done everything in her power to stay true to the vow since.

After a moment or two when the hug ended she looked up at him with bright eyes. "It hasn't, but I missed you too. Any time spent apart is far too long for my liking. I need you in my life, Chang!" she said playfully with a gently nudge. When Mike took the bags from her hands she smiled and reached up to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. Her gaze followed his hand in the direction of the kitchen and she nodded when he offered food and therapy. There was nothing she needed more in that moment than their Cherry talking and therapy time. Maybe then she would be able to get him to honestly tell her how he'd been. "Let's do it!" she said with a nod she stepped around him and made her way to the kitchen, sure that he'd be right behind her.

"Are you going to eat some veggies with me tonight? I know they're not your favorite." She smiled at him over her shoulder as she stepped into the kitchen and walked to the counter. Her eyes scanned the room and she bit her bottom lip. Rachel wasn't really concerned with him eating vegetables, but she needed to start somewhere. If her first question had to do with his well-being she'd feel bad for laying it on him so heavily at first, not to mention she'd probably have to expect the same treatment and she really didn't want to go through that. Tonight was about Mike and just bonding time. Maybe some cuddling too, because she'd really missed his cuddles, but mostly just their friendship.

Mike Chang

As soon as Rachel began to move, Mike rushed after her as if it was instinct or second nature. "Go power rangers go!" He joked at her enthusiasm as they walked into the kitchen. There was a certain admiration she drew out of him when she got excited over such little things. "Hey now. Let's give me some credit. Over the six years we've been bonding, I've grown to eat a lot more veggies. I like green peppers…red peppers…peppers in general and…uh…" He struggled to find an answer and looked around the kitchen to see if anything would remind him. "ASPARAGUS!" Mike cleared his throat, realizing how unnecessarily loud he had spoken. "Okay, maybe I don't like many veggies… I tried though! A for effort," he spoke with a shrug. When Mike looked up at Rachel, he became aware of the odd look on her face. It was the same look she had gotten the day she came over to comfort him after his struggle to sign the divorce papers. The truth was that, by now, he could read her really well and he knew how she looked when she was biting her tongue. Her eyebrows tended to furrow, but she would constantly try to straighten them. She wouldn't make much eye contact, but would somehow try to maintain a normal conversation. Mike really appreciated the effort on her behalf not to push him to talk, but it kind of bugged him. He wanted her to be comfortable, but he was battling with his own need to pretend like his problems were nonexistent.

In true friend style, Mike swallowed his own apprehension about talking of such matters and decided to help her out. He grabbed the vegetables from the fridge and looked down at her. "Hey.." Pulling her hands away from the counter and holding them in his own, he looked her in the eyes with a boyish side smile that still yielded much of the pain he had endured over the past months. "You know you don't have to walk on eggshells around me… I'm not gonna break. I promise." Mike leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead, pulling away a few seconds later. "I know you want to ask me how I am and I know you're worried. Well…you're always worried." He joked a little to break the tension. "I also know that all my drinking the other night probably didn't help with the worry, so I'm sorry about that." In fact, Mike had actually stopped his drinking a little earlier than he usually would have for the sake of not traumatizing the poor girl. He knew that it had been irresponsible, but he needed to be a little reckless. It was just a fact. The only thing he really regretted was if it had made her uncomfortable. "Go ahead and ask me anything you want, Rae." He put his hand over his heart and put his other hand up. "I give you my word that I'll tell you the complete truth…if you'll do the same." Mike didn't want to worry her, but he also didn't want to have her hold back either.

Rachel Berry

When Mike said to give him credit she nodded to agree. He _had_ been eating more vegetables since they got close, but it still wasn't anywhere near the amount she ate on a regular basis. Nobody she knew at as much as her, though. As he struggled to name vegetables that he liked she laughed and shook her head. He certainly got an A for effort. "Okay, you don't have to eat them with me tonight. Tonight you can just eat your funions because I know that's all you really want right now." Rachel grinned up at him before turning her attention back to the room around her. She could feel him looking at her, reading her like an open book. There were only four people other than her dads who knew her well enough to see all of her emotions in an instant – Mike, Mercedes, Kurt, and Finn. She felt guilty for not just outright asking him how he was. Mike wasn't just one of her friends, he was practically her other half. He was more important to her than words could ever explain and she knew she was the same to him. It was wrong of her to tip toe around him. When he took her hands she smiled guiltily up at him and shrugged. Leave it to Mike to know just what to say and when to say it. With a shaky breath she looked up at him and bit her lower lip as he kissed her forehead. He knew exactly what she wanted to ask and exactly why she hadn't, of course. Rachel nodded slowly and thought about how she wanted to word her question.

Just as she was about to speak, Mike told her to ask him anything and promised to be honest as long as she was. That held her back for a few seconds more. What if he asked her about Jesse – or worse, about Finn? No. She wasn't going to walk on egg shells. Mike deserved her honesty more than anyone else. "I just… I need to know that you're okay. Really, truly okay. You're right about me worrying," her voice was soft as she looked up at him. She wanted him to understand that the last thing she wanted to do was make him talk about things that he didn't want to, but she needed to know that there was nothing under the surface that he was holding back. "I just love you _so much_ Mike… I don't like it when you hurt. The last thing I want you to do is deal with things on your own. Now that you're close and we can spend more time together I want you to remember to always call me if you need to." Rachel reached up to gently cup his cheek. Her thumb brushed over his cheek bone and she smiled with her eyes. In the back of her mind she prayed that he'd answer her and change the subject back to lighter tones, but first and foremost she wanted him to be okay. In the past he'd been through a lot and often times she found herself thinking about him and all he'd been through. For someone so young Mike had been through more than his fair share of hard times. Someone with such a good heart simply didn't deserve what Mike had dealt with.

Mike Chang

"I.." Mike hesitated for a moment. He promised honesty and going back on his word would/could not happen. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk about it; well, it was partially that. Mike just didn't know how to explain everything he was feeling sometimes. The good thing was that it felt safe to talk to Rachel about, so he took a deep breath. Happy to hear her speak again and get a moment to figure out how to word everything, he looked down and listened to her carefully. Mike brought his hand up to place it over hers and gave her another pained smile, pulling her hand down to place a kiss on the back of her palm. "I love you too, Rae. You know that." He finally let that breath that he had forgotten that he was holding in and nodded slightly. "I'm not perfect, obviously. Um… I've been thinking about him alot lately." Giving a little shrug, he leaned against the counter. "It's been more questions and wondering than anything else. He should have been here by now so I can't help but wonder…" Eye contact was a little harder to keep right now so he pulled his gaze away from her, a move he knew could possibly be penalized later. "…what he would have looked like. What would his eyes look like? I always pictured him with my mom's eyes for some reason," he said the last remark with a hint of a smile then turned sour almost instantly. "I just…" Mike cleared his throat to fix the crack in his voice and brought his hand up to press on the bridge of his nose. "I just wanted him so badly. I freaked out when Evie told me she was pregnant and just couldn't imagine having a kid, but I got used to the idea, ya know? I got excited, attached. I keep going into that damn nursery and sit there, going through what I could have done or where we went wrong. It doesn't make sense, Rachel." He turned away from her for a moment to grab a beer from the fridge. Mike wasn't trying to think about it tonight. There was always this feeling of emptiness that seemed to grow in his when he talked about. The logical side of him knew that it helped him cope, but that didn't make it less painful. "I know that I should be happy that I don't have to worry about taking care of a family in my young years, but I want….wanted to be a dad and I want… wanted to have that kid." Mike opened the beer with his hand and took a sip of it before finally making eye contact with Rachel. "I'm still dealing, but I'm dealing. I'm not hiding anything.. I'm just still sad." Taking another sip of his beer, he tried to swallow the knot in his throat that always grew when the topic was discussed. The process of getting better was taking longer than it should have and he knew the nursery wasn't helping, but he hoped that Rachel would appreciate that he admitted to it's existence. The next step would be to actually empty out the room and Mike just wasn't sure if he was ready for that… The thought alone made him feel weak.

Rachel Berry

Quietly and patiently, Rachel stood there listening to him with a concerned gaze. It killed her inside to see so much pain on Mike's face. Inside she was torn about how to feel regarding the situation. Of course she mourned the loss of Mike's unborn child right along with him. She'd been so excited for him because he had been so excited. It was like magic watching him when she was pregnant. Everything he did seemed a little more animated than normal. Mike would've made the best dad, but things had turned sour and she saw something change in him. When he mentioned picturing his son with his mother's eyes she smiled sadly, knowing how much the man cared for his mom. His mention of the nursery set her back because she didn't know it was still decorated; much less that he still visited it. More than before her heart broke for him now because seeing that room, she imagined, could only make things a million times harder. Rachel wanted to reach out and take his hand but he'd turned to the fridge and she watched as he pulled out a beer. For a second she nearly scolded him, but Rachel didn't. Mike definitely deserved a beer without her giving him trouble for her making him talk about things. After he finished speaking she stood there silently for a moment, thinking over everything. Her eyes were on the ground now because she was afraid they'd be misread as she thought over everything. What could someone say to their best friend who'd experienced such a big heartache at such a young age?

Slowly, Rachel looked back up at him and tilted her head to the side as her hands fell from the counter to play with the hem of her dress. "There's nothing I can say to make the pain you feel go away, Mike. I know that, no matter how much I wish it were untrue. You have to know that there was nothing you did wrong, though. You couldn't have stopped what happened." Rachel took a step towards him and reached out to take the hand that wasn't holding a beer. "You would have been such a wonderful father, you know that and so do I. So does Sam. Maybe it's time we pack up the nursery, or at the very least start thinking about it. I don't think it's good to keep it as it is…" her voice was a little softer when she suggested emptying the nursery. Rachel knew already that Mike wasn't going to want to do it, but it was an important step in the healing process. She was glad that he'd admitted to spending time in it and that it even existed at all. After taking another step closer Rachel reached up to cup his cheek with the hand that wasn't already holding one of his. Her eyes looked up into his and she tried to tell him how sorry she felt that she couldn't make everything better without really saying it. Mike knew she was sorry already and she was sure he'd grown tired of hearing it. "We don't have to do anything about it tonight, I promise. We don't even need to do anything about it tomorrow, or this week. But soon."

Mike Chang

Mike would be lying if he said that Rachel looking down at the ground at the end of his little rant didn't scare him senseless. The mere thought of disappointing her or making her feel like he didn't trust her made his stomach turn. He hoped to everything that she understood that this secret wasn't brought on by mistrust, but by shame and inner turmoil. It wasn't an excuse, but it was what it was. The silence was driving him crazy and he almost found himself scrambling to find anything to say that would break the quiet, but, fortunately, she finally moved. Her eyes locked onto his and he struggled to find any sign of a negative reaction, but there was only sorrow. She wasn't wrong. No words could really change anything and there was nothing anyone could do to fix this, but Rachel always tried and that meant the world to him.

Mike had managed to keep everything together until Rachel told him that he had no fault. Logically, it made every bit of sense, but it didn't make sense in his heart. These things happen, but some part of him still swore there was fault on his fault. Mike wasn't one to admit, but he was a proud man and was not keen on crying in front of people. Even tearing up seemed unacceptable, but, as his eyes reddened and he felt the tears slowly build up, he knew that he would have to yet again give way to an action he scolded in himself. Mike clung onto Rachel's hand for dear life.

"You would have been such a wonderful father…" The words rang through his head and finally broke the damn. The tears slowly traced down his cheeks though he didn't sob. They fell freely as he lowered his head in understanding. Mike loved Rachel, but he hated that she was right about this. It was time to pack up the nursery. Standing in that room only made his haunted thoughts darker and heavier to hold. It made it too real, too tangible. It was one of the only things he had left that connected him to the child that he could never have and Mike wasn't sure if that was something he could bring himself to let go. Don't make eye contact, he thought to himself. Yes, he was tearing, but he wasn't crying. There was still a chance for him to avoid it completely if he just controlled himself, but he didn't. Rachel's hand touched his cheek and it almost made him want to scream, to shock her, to put an end to this heart to heart that was going to break him.

When Rachel finished speaking, Mike's heart clenched and that knot in his throat finally started to hurt. His eyes glanced up for just a moment and damn it if he didn't hate himself for giving in. It came in a wave. It wasn't slow and it wasn't pretty or gentle. Mike inhaled sharply and a hard sob hit him violently. Once it hit, he didn't bother holding back. It was far too late. He nearly dropped the beer bottle as he placed it on the counter and wrapped his arms around her, clinging for something that he just couldn't have. Mike managed to go from a tall, strong man to a child in a matter of swift and intense moments. With their height difference, he wasn't quite sure how it was possible, but Mike managed to bury his face into her neck. "I can't do it alone," he managed to mutter the words. It was a short statement, but, he hoped, that she understood what he was asking from her: help.

Rachel Berry

Rachel wrapped her arms around Mike as soon as she felt his around her. It was instinctive. She held him as he cried, running a soothing hand up and down his back and holding on for dear life. If there were any way Rachel would have taken his pain away ages ago, but there wasn't so she did everything she could to comfort him instead. Silently she just stood there holding him, not caring about anything but the man crying into her shoulder. When she heard him speak Rachel closed her eyes tightly and spoke softly, "I'm right here, Mike. I'm not going anywhere, ever. You will never be alone." Although she'd spoken softly, Rachel was firm with her words. She refused to ever leave Mike to deal with this stuff on his own. After they'd become close the two had been through a lot together. Not only in the past six months, but since graduation they'd been helping each other through the hard times.

"It's you and me, Mike. We can make it through anything as long as we stick together. You're going to get through this and I'm going to help you." Rachel continued to speak with a soothing tone. Her heart ached for Mike; it ached for his loss and his grief. She couldn't imagine the way he felt because she'd never experienced it. Slowly, she opened her eyes and took in a deep breath. Even though she wanted to say something, to keep telling him reassuring things, Rachel didn't know what more she could say. All she knew to do was stand there and hold him for as long as he needed her to. She wanted to remind him of the happy things in his life, of dancing and living out his dreams, but she couldn't bring herself to. Not right now. Right now Mike needed to hurt. He needed to let these emotions out or else he'd never heal.

Her grip tightened a little more around him as she turned to kiss the side of his head and continued to run her hand up and down his back soothingly. "You're a very strong man, Michael. You have one of the biggest hearts in this world and you are loved by _so many people_. This pain, it's heavy… You can't keep it in. You can't hold on to it anymore. Any time you need to talk, any time you need to cry, or even just when you need me to sit here with you for however long it may be I am not going to leave you. You're going to get through this." Her voice grew softer, just above a whisper as she stopped moving her hand on his back. "Together we will pack up the nursery and together every day we will remember your son. Moving forward does not have to mean forgetting."

Mike Chang

Mike did his best to pull himself today. In a way, he actually felt a little better though the way he looked said otherwise. His eyes were bloody red from all of the salty tears and he was still curled up around Rachel, but he finally started to feel like it was all coming out. All of that suppressed guilt and stubborn obsession with his situation lightened just the slightest bit, but it was a level of freedom that made all the difference, at least to him. Rachel was there and she would always be there, like he would. He had Sam there too. It was a fact that he should have known by now, but the reassurance was just something he needed. His grip loosened a bit as he spoke, though he didn't let go of her. Mike straightened up a bit and leaned his head against hers.

There was a great level of thanks and gratitude that Mike had in that moment that Rachel offered her help in any way he needed. It was that pride again. He wasn't one to ask for help and it always bothered him to do so, but, if he really wanted to get better, he knew that asking Rachel would be a lot easier than asking anyone else. Her last words interrupted his thought. He felt kind of stupid in that quick moment. Moving forward does not have to mean forgetting, he thought to himself again. Why hadn't he thought of that before? Why hadn't he come to that conclusion first? Mike pulled away a bit and looked down at her before pulling his tee up to wipe the tears from his eyes, revealing that they had finally stopped. "You're right…" he mumbled. Clearing his throat, he pulled himself together and nodded her way. "You're right," he repeated again. "We'll pack it up this weekend and… we'll do it together." Mike dropped his hands from around her and sniffled. "I can't hold onto that room if I plan on getting through this and dealing with this. I'm just…scared, but I'll get through this." He gave a weak smile and squeezed her hand. "With Rachel Berry there, what can't I do?" Mike tended to joke when he went on emotional overload, but his words had a level of sincerity in them. He took in a deep breath and brought up the bottom of his shirt to wipe the last bit of tears. "God, I feel like I just dropped twenty pounds," he laughed into his shirt before pulling it down. "If you have any sad or bad news that might make me cry, I suggest you give it to me now while I can blame any subsequent tears on my previous break down."

It wasn't long after his last statement that he realized they had made a deal. Mike didn't think he had the ability to talk about his problems anymore. He felt better, but he was sore from thinking of it. So, that left him with one question. "Now that I've had my little moment, anything you need to talk about before we get started on this marathon and leave all issues in the kitchen?" He snuck in an escape route. Sometimes he swore that Rachel had as many issues opening up as he did, so he wanted to make it easy. "What is said in the kitchen, stays in the kitchen for the rest of the night. Just sayin'." Mike had felt like something was bothering her when she first showed up, but he just hadn't been able to put his finger on it and it was confusing him a bit.

Rachel Berry

When Mike pulled back she looked up at him and smiled sadly. Her heart ached for him when he squeezed her hand, but she was happy that he was going to start packing it up. "There isn't a thing," she replied with a kiss to his hand and a nod. Rachel watched as he wiped the tears from his eyes with his shirt and laughed lightly as he told her to tell him any bad news she may have. For a few seconds she thought of telling him about Jesse and Finn, about all of her conflicting feelings and the second thoughts she'd been carrying with her since the night before, but Rachel wasn't sure if she'd make any sense to him. Her worries felt so trivial, as though she was making them far more than they really were. Deep down, though, she knew that Mike wouldn't want her to keep them to herself. He was always very good about supporting her no matter how small her problems may be.

Rachel smiled sheepishly when he said whatever they spoke about in the kitchen stayed there. Honestly there was no better opportunity for her to express her doubts about her relationship as well as Finn's, so she took it. "Finn and I talked about the way our relationship ended last night… About the way things might have been had we thought more about it. Nothing happened between us, of course, but I feel like… I feel like somehow I cheated on Jesse. Like I emotionally betrayed him because I was with Finn. I know Finn was drunk and I shouldn't have taken anything he said seriously but it was all so… It was just so emotional. It hurt to think about everything and I just couldn't stop thinking about how I still love him. I still love Finn but I love Jesse and I think – I think Finn might still love me too, but he loves Quinn. It's just a really big mess and everyone could be so hurt by it all. I don't want anyone to get hurt." Rachel's voice was soft as she spoke and her eyes were glued to her hands. Anyone but Mike would probably judge her for what she'd done the night before. A woman who was in love and in a relationship with another man simply shouldn't be so willing to do so much for her ex fiancé.

"The worst part of it all is that I still want to be in his life. I still want him in mine. I don't want to just go another six years without really talking to him. Finn and I were good friends once… I just miss him." The last four words came out as a whisper. Rachel felt awful for even thinking about missing Finn when she was with Jesse. He was perfect to her and she should've been perfectly content with that, but somehow it never felt like enough. It wasn't the same as it was with Finn and it never could be.

Mike Chang

Mike stayed quiet as she spoke and it was actually pretty hard for him to do so. He didn't judge Rachel, because, well, he owed her that and he knew none of it had been intentional. It was a little odd for him to be in this position, however. Evie had cheated on him multiple times throughout his marriage and he couldn't help but to feel disgust toward the act. This was different. Technically, Finn and Rachel hadn't cheated on their significant others in the physical sense, but there was a whole other emotional aspect to take into consideration. To be honest, it sounded a lot more complex than just cheating to cheat. Knowing Rachel, Mike was sure the girl was beating herself up over it enough and that alone made him want to help though he wasn't sure how. "You did cheat." It came out a lot blunter than he had hoped. "You both did," Mike spoke as he looked up from his original focus on the floor. "I'm not judging you…" he added quickly to keep her from feeling defensive. The last thing he wanted to do was to make her think he was being anything but her friend at the moment. "I'm really not, Rae, but I'm not going to lie to you either. You both cheated. That emotional connection…" He tried to find a way to explain it in the gentlest way he could. Mike would hate himself if he ended up hurting her with his advice. "That's just as bad as physically cheating." It was true, at least for him. Connecting with someone like that and with all their history, well, it was a recipe for disaster. Truthfully, he wanted to be mad at Finn for putting Rachel in this position, but he knew it was probably not that simple. It tore him up to see the look on her face that told of her confusion and hurt. Rachel wasn't enjoying any part of all of the questions that were being brought up. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his side. "With that being said, you're not a bad person." Mike made sure to emphasize his words. "You're human. That's all. Feeling what you're feeling isn't a crime, but hiding it from Jesse on your part and Finn hiding it from Quinn is wrong. I can't support you on that. What I can support you on is taking some time to think about everything." Mike took her hands and leaned down a bit to look her straight in the eye to show that this was all coming from a good place. The situation was a difficult one and time sounded like the only solution. "You need to figure out what you want, Rae. I can tell you from personal experience that honesty makes it all hurt a little less. It's finding out how long someone kept it from you that hurts the most. Who knows, you guys might even come to see that you're just reminiscing and it doesn't change anything." He brushed the hair from her face and put it behind her ear. "I know it's not going to be easy, but that's what you have to do. Maybe you can take a girls' weekend trip or… maybe you can go to see your dads…or.. whatever other idea you have. You need to get away from both guys and just think things over. Get some clarity."

Rachel Berry

Rachel kept her eyes down as Mike spoke, hating herself a little more inside with his words. Of course he was right, they had cheated. Even when Mike wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his side she didn't look up, she refused to. How could she look her best friend in the eye when she felt so foolish? Rachel didn't think for a split second that Mike would ever judge her, but she was still deeply ashamed of herself. He was saying that she wasn't a bad person but it didn't make a difference in her feeling like one. She couldn't stand herself. Her eyes fell tightly shut and she tried to stop the flooding thoughts. The last thing Rachel needed right now was more doubt than she'd already been facing. In her heart she knew that she needed to let the past go. Finn was getting married and she was happy with Jesse. Sure they'd once shared a great love, but times change and feelings don't stay the same. Now it was time that she fight harder to make her relationship with Jesse be the one that lasted. She loved him. "Jesse knows I was with Finn last night. I would never lie to him about that… He knows that I went to pick him up because he was drunk. And honestly, I think he knows how I feel. He isn't dumb or blind." Rachel's words were soft and laced with guilt as she pulled out of Mike's arms and turned her back to him, unable to face him.

"I know what I want and need. Jesse is my boyfriend and he's going to stay my boyfriend. I love him, Mike. He's been nothing but wonderful to me since we got back together and I want him to know how much he means to me. Being with Finn… It was something else. Seeing him last night only reminded me of that. He's getting married to Quinn and I plan on being entirely supportive of their relationship. My only concern is that Quinn and Jesse might not be fond of us remaining friends. Is it bad that I still want to be friends with him? We both know and understand that each other has moved on and we're in relationships with other people but… I don't know, is it wrong to miss each other? Why can't things just be simple?" she shook her head and ran her hands through her hair out of frustration. The more she let herself dwell on the situation the more it was going to drive her insane. Mike was right about them having cheated, though. Rachel knew that deep down without needing his confirmation. Sure, they hadn't cheated in the physical sense, but bring up all of those old emotions in each other and talking about things like they had was wrong. That was something that certainly could not happen again.

Mike Chang

Mike felt horrible when he heard how much guilt was in her words. He only felt worse when she pulled away and turned from him. God, he must really suck at this, if he couldn't even bring her an inch of comfort that she brought him. It felt like he was only making things worse and damn if that didn't kill him.

As Rachel continued on, Mike listened carefully and burned her words into his head. There was something that he could say, there had to be. There's no way he could just leave her standing with so much guilt. Mike moved closer behind her and waited for her to finish. He forced Rachel to turn around and put his hand under her chin. "First of all, don't turn away from me. You don't get to feel shame around me. After everything you've done for me, everything we've done for each other, you don't get to do that. This.." He gestured around the kitchen in reference to his apartment. "..will always be a place you can come to and feel absolutely no shame in talking to me about things. I will never judge you." Mike's words were stern and they were just that for a reason. He never wanted her to have to suffer these thoughts alone. He may not be fond of Finn or Jesse at the moment, but he was fond of her and that's all that matter. That was all he needed to keep himself unbiased. "Second, Quinn and Jesse are adults. They may not be fond of it, but they will respect it. That's that." Mike wrapped his arms around her waist and took a deep breath, trying to think of a final possible solution. "Third, you're going to need to set boundaries. You guys can be friends, but there needs to be lines that you just don't cross. I know it seems weird, but it'll keep issues from coming up. It'll be hard, but it isn't impossible." Mike knew that the girl was stubborn and probably wouldn't change her mind about how she viewed herself, but he'd be damned if he didn't do his best to make her think otherwise. He lightly tapped her nose with his index finger. "And I'll be here if you need help dealing with it, ok? If I can't keep stuff to myself,neither can you."

Rachel Berry

Without a fight she let Mike turn her around to face him and looked up when he put a hand under her chin. She wanted to cry when she met his gaze, feeling even guiltier for being ashamed when she knew he'd never think less of her. The two had shared plenty of hard times, helping each other through the highs and the lows. It was a moment of weakness that she'd turned from him in and he hadn't missed it. Rachel took a deep breath and gave him an apologetic look as he went on; knowing that he truly meant what he said when he said he'd never judge her. Rachel hadn't had friends at all until her sophomore year, and it had taken much longer for her to make best friends with anyone. From time to time she forgot that she wasn't alone anymore. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips when he said Quinn and Jesse would respect her and Finn's want to remain friends. That was comforting to her because it was her biggest fear. The last thing Rachel wanted to do was lose Jesse because she had this need for Finn in her life. As Mike continued and told her that they'd need to set boundaries she nodded to show she understood. Boundaries were the first thing on her list of priorities when it came to a friendship with Finn. Because of their past she knew it would be easy for them to forget what they were to each other at times – just as they'd demonstrated the night before – so she was all for boundaries.

"I just don't want to upset anyone… The last thing I want to do is be the reason for anyone's pain." Rachel's voice was soft, much like that of a child. She felt smaller than usual standing there in front of Mike. In an almost instant she felt the sudden need to just hide away, so she wrapped her arms around him and hid her face in his chest. Mike was always there when she needed him, and she would always be there for him. "I'm sorry I forgot everything for a minute, sorry that I turned." She mumbled nearly inaudibly as she clung to him. Talking about Finn and Jesse was emotionally draining, so she wanted to be done with it. Now Rachel wanted to just enjoy the time she was getting to spend with Mike. "Can we just be us now, and have fun? You said you'd teach me some new dance moves…" her voice grew a little louder as she pulled back so her face was no longer hidden against his chest. "We haven't been able to have a Cherry night in a while."

Mike Chang

"Everything will work out for the best, Rae. I promise." Mike felt Rachel curl into him and he wanted to frown, but a hint of a smile tugged at the side of his lips. She was pretty adorable when she had that child-like quality about her. He tightened his arms around her and pressed his lips to the top of her head, subtly rocking them from side to side. When the initial adorableness faded, he was more concerned about if she was feeling any better. Mike pulled his lips away and laid his head on hers, rubbing his hand up and down her lower back. There wasn't an inch of him that didn't feel bad for Rachel, but, for some reason, he felt like this little break-down helped them both. She felt different in his arms and that's pretty much how he knew. Mike wasn't delusional. He knew that neither of their problems had been solved instantly, but there was a bit of healing that took place and that was enough for tonight.

When she finally started to squirm just the slightest bit in his arms, he looked down at her. Mike gave Rachel the boyish grin he had given to her when she first walked into the apartment. With a little nod, he leaned his forehead against hers and gave her a thinking face. "Cherry night it is. But! Two things." Mike pulled away a bit and held two fingers up in a playful manner. After all of that tension and difficult conversation, they could use a little playfulness. That is, Mike felt that way. Usually, he wasn't wrong about these things with Rachel. Mike pressed his fingers to his chin. "One, we leave all this…" he moved his hands to gesture to the entire kitchen. "Stays in here, like we said. Two! We watch a movie first, because I feel the need to cuddle up on you for a bit. Call it Chang intuition, but you still look like you got a good hour of cuddling still needed. Am I right or am I right?" Mike said with a cocky look on his face and opened his arms. "Right?" Laughing a little to himself, he stood back up and shrugged. "Maybe it's just me." Mike turned his back to her and knelt down a bit for her to jump on. "Today, Rae!" He adjusted her so that she wouldn't slip off. Mike had nearly forgotten why they came to kitchen in the first place and stopped by the cabinet before going to the living room. He reached in and pulled out a bag of veggie chips. Shaking the bag, he marched off toward the living room. "I knew these would come in handy!" To be completely honest, Mike just didn't want to spend another second in the kitchen. Rachel was right. Cherry night hadn't happened in a long while and they needed to fix that immediately.

When they got into the living room, Mike turned his back to the couch and let Rachel jump down. "You can go ahead and get comfy. The blanket is on the side of the couch," he spoke as he made his way to the flat screen and entertainment center. In this kind of situation, Disney should always come first. Broadway was awesome, but they needed something a little less deep before all that. Grabbing the Mulan video, he opened it and put the dvd into the dvd player. Mike glanced back at Rachel, giving her a little nod to say he was just about done. Before walking over to the couch, he made sure to turn on the surround sound because, yes, he was still a guy and wanted to show off his new toy. Mike slid back over toward the couch and crawled into the couch, putting his arm on the back of the couch. He practically pulled Rachel into his side and kissed the side of her forehead. "Feeling a little better?"

Rachel Berry

Talking about things had certainly helped, but nothing compared to one of Mike's hugs. She couldn't count the number of times her best friend would hug her and all of her worries would float away. Mike just seemed to have that quality about him, though. He was good at fixing her even when he didn't seem sure that he was. Rachel couldn't imagine loving anyone more than she loved Mike, especially in that moment when he was reassuring her that things would get better. Both of them had needed the talk, they'd both been able to let things off their chest, and now she was ready for the much needed happiness of one of their nights together. Her eyes were lit up when he leaned his forehead against hers and she couldn't help but grin from ear to ear when she nodded her agreement. His playful attitude was the perfect remedy for lightening the mood and she appreciated it greatly as she smiled up at him. When he suggested a movie first she nodded vigorously in approval, "You are absolutely, positively right." She said with mock-sternness and a light laugh.

When Mike turned around she took a deep breath before quickly jumping onto his back – she had to jump because of the height difference – and wrapping her arms around his neck loosely. She smiled when he stopped to pull out a bag of vegan chips and kissed the back of his head to show her appreciation, "When did you get so smart?" she asked jokingly and squeezed him gently with her legs as he walked out into the living room. As soon as he reached the couch she let go and practically fell into it, wasting no time in getting comfortable. "Who needs a blanket when I have a teddy bear?" she asked and laughed lightly as she sat back to wait for him. Her eyes followed him as he went over to put in the first movie – she happily noted that it was Disney, Mulan – and then she busied herself smoothing out the skirt of her dress. Rachel rolled her eyes when Mike turned on his surround sound and shook her head, "You men and your toys…" she said quietly, almost under her breath, with a playful smile. A quiet giggle escaped her when he tugged her into his side and she nuzzled into the crook of his arm before nodding and laying her head against his chest. "Much better, what about you?" she asked softly.

This was the type of thing that Rachel lived for. The type of moment that made her forget everything in the world but the fact that she had somehow managed to snag herself the best friend in the world. Rachel was more than grateful to have Mike in her life. He'd saved her in more than one way since they became close and she honestly couldn't remember what it was like before him – she didn't even want to. They were just a perfect fit and that was all she needed to know.

Mike Chang

"Loads better. Like loads of loads of loads better," Mike deepened his voice with each repetition in a joking manner. Flashing her a smile, he scrunched up his nose before kissing her forehead. Mike sunk into the couch a little more to get comfortable and watched as the previews started. It sounded lame and he probably wouldn't say it out loud, but he would take these moments over a party any day. Yes, he was a big partier. Mike always loved the friendship, dancing, music, food and just fun times that came along with going to a house party or lounge, but these moments were so much better. He didn't have to try with Rachel. Mike got to be himself and enjoy the little things, like Disney. There was nothing Mike could ever do to get Evie to just stay inside and spend time with him. She was all about going out and getting obliterated. If people thought he was a heavy drinker, Evie was a straight up boozer. he couldn't hold a candle to her. While all that partying is important, sometimes just sitting and bonding is more important. Rachel and Mike weren't homebodies, but the fact that they could stay in and hang out without getting bored of each other said something, at least it did to him. It meant that they connected on several different levels. He loved that. It didn't hurt that Rachel didn't mock him about his enjoyment of Disney films.

By the time the Disney logo had popped up onto the screen, Mike had gotten even more comfortable. He had leaned into the corner of the couch and kicked off his sneakers. "I know I'm fidgetting alot. Pre-movie configuring…" He laughed at himself and shrugged. There was a little ritual he went through before movie watching. Hopefully, Rachel had gotten used to it by now. While Rachel always felt comfortable, he always wanted to find that one spot for optimal comfort just in case they ended up passing out. Mike brought his leg up to press it against the couch as he pulled his shirt off, tossing it to the side. Running his hands down the white beater, he smoothed it out a bit before giving Rachel grabby hands for her to move in with her back to his chest. Pulling her into the gap between his legs, Mike wrapped his arms around her and leaned his chin against her shoulder. His arms wrapped around right above her waist in a way that allowed her arms to be free. "Look! Just in time for the movie." He got this accomplished look on his face and gave a cocky nod. "I nail the timing every time." Mike laughed a little. This was the perfect spot. He rubbed his hair against the back of her shoulder, signalling her to play with his hair. Okay, maybe he tended to get too comfortable, but he liked getting head rubs. Sue him. Rachel was one of the only ones that didn't claw into his scalp and scratch him.

Rachel Berry

Rachel smiled when Mike said he felt better and felt suddenly a million times warmer inside. When he kissed her forehead she closed her eyes for a second, just enjoying the moment they were sharing. Mike was without a doubt the only man in her life – other than her fathers – that she would always feel safe and happy with. Nobody knew how to make her feel better the way he did, nobody even really knew her the way he did. It was almost as though he could see through everything, like he could read her thoughts. When they'd first gotten close she'd been terrified of how comfortable it was to be around Mike but now she just felt like she was home when she was with him. It didn't matter to her what they were doing as long as they were together Rachel would be perfectly happy. Mike had a way of making her forget that anyone but him existed when they were just enjoying each other's company. Cuddled up on the couch was exactly where she wanted to be. When she felt him stirring, Rachel sat up. She knew he needed to get comfortable before the movie began so she took the opportunity to slip her heels off and tuck them under the coffee table. Just as she turned to look at him again he was taking off his shirt and she felt a smile tug at her lips. Even after all the time they'd been friends Rachel still couldn't get over the way he looked when he took his shirt off – with or without a white beater.

With a lighthearted laugh she let him pull her into him and relaxed instantly into his embrace. In that moment Rachel felt a peacefulness that only Mike was able to bring out in her. It was a complete serenity. "You must be magic." She said jokingly and shook her head. When she felt his hair tickling her shoulder she wiggled a little before reaching up to run her fingers through his hair the way he wanted her to. As though it had a mind of its own her hand remained there, playing with his hair as she turned her attention back to the TV and the movie. Moments like these made Rachel realize just how perfect her life was. It didn't matter that there were problems when it came to romance – she didn't need any of that. All she needed was Broadway and Mike and she felt like she could conquer the world. Sitting on the couch, cuddled up to watch a movie was the way she was happiest. From time to time she'd feel the need to go out and have fun with all of her friends, but it was also nice just relaxing. At their age not a lot of people liked to stay in. It was always partying and drinking, celebrating youth, but she had never been much of a partier. If her friends wanted to go out and they invited her along she wouldn't tell them no but this was where she preferred to be.

Mike Chang

Besides partying, there was something else that his age group was known for and that was hooking up. Being a natural and sometimes oblivious flirt, Mike tended to find himself in a bit of constant trouble because of simple misinterpretations. Girls tended to read far too much into any move he made or any word he said. It wasn't all girls, just a good bit, at least the ones he attracted. He never actually had to worry about that with Rachel. Mike wasn't blind. Rachel was one of the most beautiful women in the world, that was obvious. He wasn't bad looking either. There was always the slightest hint of attraction between them, but they never let that get in the way of what they were to each other: best friends. They could cuddle up like this and not worry about the other misinterpreting what was being done. It seems like such a silly thing to worry about, but it was actually a big deal. The ability to not read too much into it is what allowed them to get this close. They got to know each other in ways no one else did and not worry about awkward moments.

As she spoke, he took in a deep breath while Rachel started to run her fingertips through his hair and his eyes fluttered closed. "Hmm?" he barely mumbled. She said something about magic, he was sure of that, but he hadn't quite caught everything. Turning his head a little, he got her to scratch right behind his ear and it made him tighten his grip around her the slightest bit. "Sorry," he yawned out and loosened his grip again. "Best head rubs. I kinda get lost in 'em." Mike tilted his head again and moved so that his face was in the crook of her neck, giving her access to the other side of his head. "Seriously, best head rub ever." He was pretty sure that Rachel was probably paying attention to the screen and paying him no mind, but he hoped she didn't blame him for not really watching yet. Since it had been a while since their last hangout, he hadn't gotten a chance to beg her for one. His nose grazed her neck and Mike pulled his face away. "Okay, now I'm good." Mike had a cheesy grin across his face and he made sure to flash it at her before looking back at the screen. "I must have some serious bed hair going on right now." Pulling one of his hands away from her waist, he tried to fix his untamed hair. Just for a moment, Mike wondered if they had a weird friendship. This wasn't what normal friends did, but it felt right. They never did anything that would be considered cheating. The only things that were done were done for the purpose of friendship. Usually, he wouldn't think about it, but lately the topic had been coming up quite a bit. If they were doing something wrong, he should feel it and he didn't. Mike shook his head quickly to kick the thoughts out. It was stupid to think about it so he wouldn't waste the focus. He looked down at Rachel and cocked his eyebrow. "Did it come down a bit or do I look like I have puppy hair again?"

Rachel Berry

A soft laugh fell from her lips when she heard Mike yawn. There was nothing more adorable than a completely relaxed Mike Chang – Rachel was sure of it. A proud smile crossed her face when he said mentioned said it was the best head rub and she wiggled a little in his arms to show she'd heard him. Although she was gazing at the screen Rachel's mind was wandering slightly. She tilted her head when she felt his nose against her neck and smiled at the tickling sensation. When he said he was good she let her hand fall to her lap and rested her head against his chest before turning to look at him as he smiled. "There is no smile that could ever compare to that one." She said with a laugh and nodded at his bed hair comment. "You certainly do." Rachel watched him as he tried to fix his hair and took a deep breath. "It looks much better now, no puppy hair." She said with a grin before taking his hand and pulling it back to wrap around her. Once more Rachel thought about how the pair might look from an outsider's perspective. Someone might assume that they were more than friends, especially with the position they were sitting it. It was no secret that Mike was attractive – anyone who'd ever laid eyes on him could point that out – and he certainly made sure that she knew she wasn't bad looking either. Honestly Rachel would be lying to herself if she said she'd never thought about Mike in not-so-friend-appropriate ways, but of course she'd never acted on them. He was her best friend and she didn't want to lose him. In her experience relationships of the romantic nature always led to heartbreak and she couldn't stand ever even thinking of losing Mike.

When Rachel realized that she was still looking at him she turned her gaze back to the TV and closed her eyes for a few seconds. Their friendship may not be what people considered normal but she couldn't care less – it made her happy and she knew it made him happy as well. They had never had problems with it before so she didn't want to make any of it now. "Did I ever tell you how much Shang reminds me of you? He's so strong and brave. Certainly one of the best Disney characters," her voice sounded distant to her own ears as she felt herself finally being pulled into the movie. Rachel loved Mulan for many reasons, but one of the main ones was because it always reminded her of Mike. Most people would think it was for stereotypical reasons but she really did see a lot of similarities between him and Shang. Any time they spent more time than she liked away from each other she'd put it in and just relax for a little while. Jesse had never understood why she'd always go off in the middle of the night to watch Mulan alone and he certainly didn't understand when she wouldn't let him hold her as she watched it, or even sing along. It wasn't that she didn't like being in his arms and it definitely had nothing to do with not wanting to sing with him – she just felt like it was one of her and Mike's movies. There were some things that she shared with Mike that she just didn't want to share with others.

Mike Chang

Mike gave a cheesy smile, even by his standards, when Rachel said that no other smile compared to his. In a way, it was weird. He was a very confident guy, but he never thought of his face or his smile as anything other than average. So, hearing Rachel comment on his smile did give him a bit of a confidence booster. Being in this business definitely plays on those feeling, but one little passing comment from her made any critiques seem ridiculous. Mike let Rachel pull his hand around her and let out a small chuckle. It was cute that she was in such a rush to get his arm back around her.

The further into the movie they went, the further Mike sank into the couch. When Rachel spoke up, Mike had managed to end up with upper back/shoulders lying against the armrest of the couch and Rachel practically laying on him. Actually, she was. To be honest, he didn't really think much of it. The only reason he had even noticed was because his arms were forced to slid up to her stomach instead of her waist, which was no big deal. "Shang, huh?" He thought about it for a moment. Unlike most people, Rachel wouldn't choose that character for stereotypical purposes so he tried to figure out what qualities she saw that matched. When she spoke of strength and bravery, his chest puffed out a little bit. "Really? Hmm… That and I would totally look badass in that armor." Mike gave a quirky side smile and squeezed her a bit to show how touched he was by the comparison. Rachel always had such high opinions of him and they always made him feel…special. It was that kind of special feeling he only got when he danced and performed. The feeling had a different meaning when it was one on one. It had more power, because he wasn't doing anything. He was just himself. Mike leaned his head against hers for a brief moment and drew his head back a bit. Honestly, he usually spent more time watching Rachel than he did watching the movies they chose. Mike was pretty sure that was one of the reasons that they watched these movies. He had seen them thousands of times and knew them from start to finish. That made it really easy to carry the conversation if he was asked about anything. Rachel always had this look on her face when she watched these movies. It was a look of concentration, innocence and childhood wrapped into one meaningful enchantment. That wasn't weird, right? He wondered. It was almost as if he could see the movie through her eyes and learn things that he had never noticed before. "You remind me of Belle." He nodded confidently. "I was going to say Snow White, but she just isn't smart. Sleeping Beauty is sleep deprived. Cinderella was close, but it just felt wrong to give you a blond character. Belle was really smart from the start and she was always beautiful. She was sweet and kind. I mean…the girl meets this huge beastly dude and talking silverware, but doesn't freak out. She keeps her cool and goes with it. Sure, she does it to save her father at first, but then she falls in love with the beast. She can look past what everyone else saw and see the good, the great. Even when she does get everything she wants, she doesn't turn into a snob. She takes care of everyone. That and she's one of the most beautiful Disney princesses. In my opinion, she's always been the prettiest." Mike looked down at Rachel and felt a bit of red rush to his cheeks when he realized how in depth he had gone. "That's just off the top of my head though." Lie. "I haven't seen that movie in forever." Lie. Honestly, he watched the movie every time he missed her. It pretty much drove Evie crazy, but it always made him feel like Rachel was there. His eyes drifted from hers with just a hint of a smile before looking back at the screen. These Disney movies must be getting the best of him.

Rachel Berry

While they were watching the movie Rachel felt Mike slowly shifting and moved with him without even really thinking about it. "Yes, Shang." She said softly and smiled with her eyes still on the screen. When he asked 'really' she turned her head to look up at him and laughed lightly at his comment about the armor. Of course he'd look like a badass in armor – Mike would look like a badass in anything just because he was one. At least, that was how Rachel felt. She couldn't deny that he would look even better in any sort of uniform, though. Regardless, Rachel had always seen Mike in Shang. After a few seconds she returned her gaze to the TV and relaxed into him all over again. She felt like it was her place, there cuddled up with her best friend. There was nowhere in the world that she could be so… just herself, and relaxed. Only Mike allowed her that luxury. As soon as he spoke she turned her attention back to him, more interested in what he was saying. Rachel had honestly never thought much about herself as any sort of princess. Her dream had always been to become a star, never a princess. It made her feel special to know that someone would compare her to one – even more so that it was Mike comparing her to her favorite princess. The more he spoke the more she felt her smile grow. Only Mike could make her feel so special, like she was the most beautiful girl alive.

"Of course it is." She said with a nod even though she didn't believe him, "I can't understand why you wouldn't watch it more often, though. I watch it almost as often as I watch Mulan!" Rachel laughed lightly and snuggled into him again. Her eyes were on the screen again and she silently sang along with the music. She rolled over a little in his arms so she was almost on her side in order to see the TV better and moved to wrap her arms around him the best that she could. This was certainly the best way she could possibly imagine spending time with Mike, just wrapped up and watching a movie without any worry or care in the world. They could talk if they wanted to or they could simply enjoy the music. Whatever it was as long as they were together there would be a smile on her face. "Would you make a man out of me, Mike?" she asked playfully and tapped his chest.

Mike Chang

Mike scanned over the screen, still trying to cool the redness in his cheek and feeling a sense of relief at Rachel not commenting on the comparison. Of course it is. His eyes drew back toward her and he almost swore that she was questioning his statement of how off the top of his head the comparison was. A smirk tugged at the end of the right side of his mouth. Sometimes it really did make things difficult when Rachel knew him enough to know when he was bluffing. It kind of put a damper on him trying to save face in these situations. She spoke again soon after, so Mike didn't question the statement. It would probably only make him look guiltier. "Why watch the movie so much when I have the real live Belle right here? Duh, Rae." He mocked her in a playful manner and laughed at her love of Mulan. When she snuggled in closer, Mike tightened his embrace a bit and smiled at the way she quietly sang with the music. As much as she tried to, she just couldn't keep from singing. Mike was impressed that she even lasted this long. He actually didn't mind it. On the contrary, he enjoyed hearing her voice. Rachel was the best singer he knew and he wasn't above having a personal show.

Rachel's eyes pulled his attention away from the screen again and back to her. The words that left her lips made his eyebrow instinctively cock. "Wanky… I know you didn't mean it like that but damn Rae that sounded dirty as hell….confusingly dirty." It really did. Sure, it didn't make much sense, but the combination of the way her position made her voice carry and the rhythmic tapping her fingers played on his chest made the words sound almost sexual. Though the actual context and content made for a weird pickup line, it didn't change the fact that it did sound…seductive? Would that really be the right word? Slightly embarrassed by his vocalized observation, he laughed and covered his face with his hand. "Oh man…My bad. Awkward Mike is awkward." His embarrassment never lasted that long with Rachel though and his cheeks didn't even redden this time. It was comfortable, too comfortable, for him to really stay in a state of embarrassment for longer than a minute (if that). Mike figured that this must be one of the reasons they could spend hours together and have no awkwardness between them. Hand holding, hugs, playful banter, joking pickup lines, 'inappropriate' touching (an ironic equal distribution), casual flirtations. It was all a part of the package that was their friendship. The only time it was ever really questioned was by those around them who found it odd that the two were so close. Luckily, the only opinions that mattered were those of Rachel and his own.

Rachel Berry

Rachel laughed lightly at the face he made after she asked her question. Of course he heard it perverted. She shook her head at his 'wanky' and smiled at the rest of what he had to say. Before the words had left her lips she'd known how they could be misconstrued but thought 'what the hell' because it was Mike. They had never had any problems with joking with each other. One of the best parts of their friendship was that they understood each other without needing to explain themselves. She loved that about him, that he always knew what she meant even when some of the things she said or did could be seriously mistaken. When Mike spoke again she laughed and shook her head, "Awkward Mike is adorable, just like every other version of Mike." Rachel smiled up at him and then rested her head against his chest again. Her attention returned to the movie and she picked up singing quietly right where she'd left off. Their friendship felt completely natural to Rachel, as if this was how it had been her entire life. She could remember them getting close like it was yesterday and sometimes she'd just spend time reminiscing when she really missed Mike. He had quickly become a big part of their life and she couldn't imagine it without him anymore. Even her dads had grown attached to him which was not normal for them.

Thinking about her dads made Rachel miss them so she was glad she was with Mike, he always made things easier even when he didn't know it. For a little while she just laid there in his arms watching the movie but thinking about her dads. They'd been asking her to visit a lot and she really wanted to so she'd been trying to think of when would be the best time. The idea of visiting home worried her, though. It had been a long time since she'd been to Lima and usually when she visited she would stay close to home and spend all of her time with her dads. Too many memories made her cry when she went out. Thinking about everything now made her realize how much she'd grown up and how much everyone had changed. Rachel closed her eyes and cleared her thoughts before focusing on the movie once more. They had agreed to leave all of the heavy stuff in the kitchen and although this wasn't very heavy she still didn't feel like talking about it.

Mike Chang

There was something about Mike and Rachel's friendship that was unlike every other friendship he had ever had. He knew. What does that mean? It means he always knew when something was wrong with her or when something was really good. He could feel it. There was no real other way to explain it. There was just a connection that he had to her emotions. When Rachel's vibe wavered a bit, Mike looked down at her and her eyes were shut. Even if it was for a moment, it felt like forever and it didn't look like a good sign. He could feel her carefreeness just slipping away. His brow scrunched up as he tried to understand what had happened in those brief moments of silence to have her looking so.. empty. Mike watched as her eyes opened and she refocused on the screen in a weak attempt at acting normal. It tugged at his heart a bit. Mike leaned his head down a bit and pressed his lips to her forehead, leaving his lips there for longer than he usually did. Pulling away slowly, he looked down and focused on her eyes. "I would ask you if something's wrong, but I know the answer. The only real question is what is it?" Mike spoke with a mixture of concern and sternness. He always had compassion in his dealings with Rachel, but he tended to get an intensity about him whenever he was worried. Eyeing her facial expressions, he ran his hand to brush her hair behind her ear. "Alright, Rae. Now you're seriously starting to worry me… What's up?"

Rachel Berry

As soon as she felt his lips on her forehead Rachel felt a smile on her lips. Of course he knew she was sad, Mike always knew. Sort of like how she always knew when something was bothering him. When she felt him pull away she turned her head up slightly so she could meet his gaze and tried not to laugh at herself for being so ridiculous. How could she be sad when she was with her best friend watching one of their movies? Rachel squeezed him a little before speaking, "I was just thinking about Dad and Daddy and how much they love you, and then I thought about how they want me to visit." She shrugged and smiled sadly. "I just miss them, is all. Honestly I'm okay. It's just been a while since I've seen them and thinking about them sort of threw me off. Normally I don't get so sad so quickly but being here with you just reminds me about them even more because they're always asking about you." Rachel shook her head and hid her face in his chest for a second to gather her thoughts, "I'm okay. Let's just watch this movie." She said with a grin before trying to focus on the movie again. The last thing she wanted to do was upset Mike in any way and she knew that any time she was sad or upset Mike most likely would be too. It was as though their emotions depended upon each other. When one of them felt one way the other did too.

Mike Chang

Mike gave a half smile down at Rachel and stroked her cheek. "We should go visit them this weekend. We can just set everything up before then and pack up. I've been meaning to visit my parents too. I miss mom and dad is actually saying two words to me now so I should take advantage and see if he'll pull his head out of his ass." He rubbed her back with his hand and leaned his head against hers. His embrace tightened comfortably in an attempt to let her know that it was okay to be sad. When it came to his family, it was always a good sad. It was the kind of sad that made you want to visit them and how could that ever be bad? Either way, he was sincere in his offer. He had time this weekend and it was perfect timing. They could actually be with family for Memorial Day weekend. Who could ask for more? "We can even have dinner with both of them. My mom has been nagging me like crazy to have dinner with you so she can try to convince you to have half-asian, half-jewish babies with me. And Hiram keeps calling me about coming for a family fun night so I can sing 'Singing in the Rain' with him." He gave an innocent laugh. "I really love how he just wants to see if he can keep up with a guy who's been on Broadway. I told him thousands of times that he can kick my ass vocally any day of the week. I mean… he's a Berry. I could never compete with that." Mike shook his head enthusiastically. He knew Hiram was serious about singing, but kidding about the competitiveness, but it didn't make the idea any less nerve-racking.

Rachel Berry

The suggestion to go back to Lima and visit their parents brought a smile to Rachel's lips. Spending a weekend with their families sounded like heaven to her, and both of them could certainly use a vacation. She laughed when he mentioned his dad and bit her lip gently as he rubbed her back. There was absolutely nobody in the world who knew her the way Mike did. He always knew exactly what she needed and when she needed it. The mention of his mom wanting to talk to her about half-Asian, half-Jewish babies elicited a laugh and she shook her head playfully at the thought before grinning at his words about her Dad. "Oh she is not _that_ interested in us having children, Mike." Rachel shook laughed and went on, "Dad and Daddy _have_ been pestering me to bring you back with me, though… And honestly I really don't see why we couldn't. I miss them, our parents… It feels like it's been ages since I last saw any of them. Last week I was talking to mom and she promised she'd teach me to cook some of your favorites." She bit her lip as she thought about it for a moment. Getting away sounded like the perfect medicine and there really wasn't a better time for it. "If you really want to I would like to… Of course I'd need to let Jesse know and everyone at the show. I don't think they'll have a problem with my understudy stepping in for the weekend."

Mike Chang

"You have no idea how much she bugs me about it. She's more than interested. Did you know that her and your dads have actually had lunch to talk about us? They literally discussed our friendship and their hopes about what would come of it. Mom told me they had a debate on whether our children would be Jewish or Catholic, so she called me to find out. I told her I had no idea and that I was so confused by the question. She yelled at me so I just answered because she scares me when she yells." Mike gave his head a shake and shrugged as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I have no idea why she was so shocked that I'd agree to raising them in the Jewish faith. She had a little proud moment…though I'm not sure why. I don't bother understanding women anymore." Mike gave a sigh that was laced with a chuckle at the thought of their parent's antics. He smiled at her when she started to agree to the idea. To be honest, he was more than just a little excited about the trip. He couldn't wait to see all of them, especially together. If you wanted a night of comedy, a family dinner with the Changs and Berrys was the way to go. "Do you think Jesse will be okay with it…?" Mike hoped he would and, in fact, he already started to think of ways he could get the boy that wasn't fond of him to begin with to agree to the idea. "My understudy was going to perform this weekend either way. They've been working me hard so they decided to give me a little break."

Rachel Berry

Rachel grinned when Mike said that his mom had been to lunch with her dads. She could almost picture the scenario in her head. It was no secret that her dads would support her and Mike being in a relationship whole-heartedly. She could remember one Hanukkah when they'd jokingly sent her sample wedding invitations and a note saying ' _they had it covered_ '. Rachel shook her head at the memory and scooted up slightly to kiss Mike's cheek with a grin. "You don't need to understand women when you have mom and I around to constantly keep you confused." She said and winked before resting her head against his shoulder. The movie was forgotten as she began thinking about how she would tell Jesse. It wasn't as though he would be able to stop her now that she had her mind set on it, but she honestly didn't want to fight with him about it. "I'll talk to him, he'll understand." Rachel shrugged and nodded, "Good, you do need a break! You've been working very hard." She agreed. Once more, Rachel thought about seeing their parents. She could almost picture the smiles on their faces when she closed her eyes. It really had been far too long since she'd been home to see any of them and she'd missed Mike's parents as much as she'd missed her dads. Getting away from everything going on lately was a good idea and it would give her an opportunity to really relax. With the Tonys coming up she'd been very busy promoting the show and getting her name out there. A weekend to relax was well deserved, at least in her opinion.

Mike Chang

Mike felt the shift in Rachel's weight as she moved up and his eyes directed toward hers right before she placed a kiss on his cheek. There was a pause in his breathing and he could feel his heart skip a beat but he wasn't sure why. It was such an intense feeling that he just couldn't describe, though he was trying his best. His thoughts felt as though they would begin to wander, but Rachel stopped it all with a few words. A laugh instantly rolled off of his lips and he threw his head back a little, shaking it back into place. "Geezis… That's exactly why I need to understand women, so I can keep you two from killing me with confusion." Her head rested on his shoulder and he leaned his head on top of hers again. Mike knew that Rachel and Jesse had some serious tension going on these days, but he was still hoping the guy would see how innocent the plans were. "I'm sure he will once you get a chance to explain it. It's just a family trip." Giving her a smile, he gave her a bit of a squeeze. Mike could feel his eyelids getting heavy, but he fought against the urge to shut them. His thumb stroked her arm as he gave a soft chuckle. "Yeah… They have been pushing me really hard between working shows and doing all the promo stuff. I think I get about four hours of sleep on good days," he said with a bit of a laugh. It wasn't necessarily funny, but he was just shocked that he hadn't somehow passed out by now. Mike rubbed his eyes with his right hand in a childish manner as he finally gave into a yawn. "We're gonna have to call them and let them know. Mom doesn't really like surprises… Last time I gave her a surprise visit, she scolded me and yelled about how she needed time to cook for me. I mean damn mom… we could go out to eat… You can only imagine how she reacted to that suggestion."

Rachel Berry

"Oh stop, mom and I don't confuse you _that_ bad…" she said with a devious grin. Rachel knew she and his mom were great at confusing Mike and she was proud of it. It was just another way for her to connect with Julia. A family trip, Rachel smiled again at the idea. Jesse wasn't going to be happy about it but he'd understand, she was sure of it. With everything going on lately she knew he wasn't dumb, he understood that she'd been a mess. All she had to do was tell him she wanted to see her dads. When Mike spoke again Rachel could tell how tired he was just from his voice. He was really being worked hard with the show and she didn't like seeing him so worn out. "I can tell, you're sleepy." She said softly and reached up to run a hand through his hair absentmindedly as he yawned. He was right about calling their parents to let them know about the visit. As much as she loved the idea of surprising her dads she knew they'd need warning in case they'd been planning on going on vacation or something. "We can call them tomorrow morning to let them know. You were silly to suggest going out." She said with a laugh and shook her head before resting it against his shoulder again and closing her eyes for a few seconds. Seeing how tired he was had suddenly made her feel tired. "Dad and daddy would be upset at that suggestion as well. They're parents and we're all grown up, they need to feel needed when we're around or else they won't know what to do with themselves." Rachel smiled and opened her eyes slowly.

Mike Chang

"You two do confuse me that much and I swear you guys do it on purpose. Just to see my confusion." Mike looked at her lips when she gave him that devious grin and he couldn't help but to smirk. She knew that she was bullshitting completely and she wasn't even trying to hide it with her facial expressions. Rachel most likely knew that she could get away with anything when it came to Mike. When he felt her fingers laced through his hair, he had to keep himself from basically purring out his next sounds. He bit his lip to shut himself up, which he was thankful for. As soon as Rachel pulled her hand away, he instantly missed the contact. There was nothing like being half asleep and getting fingernails trailed down your scalp with just the right amount of pressure. Rachel's voice pulled him out of it. "Well…my bad. I didn't want her to spend hours cooking for just me." He laughed and found it funny that even though it sounded like nonsense everything she said was true. That's exactly how things went down. Her eyes shut in front of him and his eyebrow cocked. "Hmm… Looks like I'm not the only one who's sleepy." When her eyes opened he nodded at her words and shifted down some more, so that his forehead was leaning against hers. His eyes shut lightly and he hummed along to the music of the movie. "We gotta pick up gifts before we go or something…don't let me forget. I hate showing up empty handed to them, especially your dads. They're so great to us that the least we can do is get them little trinkets. I wanna get mom a nice summer hat for when they drive to the beach."

Rachel Berry

Rachel scoffed playfully and shook her head. "Who, Mom and I?! Never!" she said as though she was insulted but she couldn't keep the smile off her face. With a wink she relaxed again and let her head rest comfortably against his shoulder. Being there with Mike she felt more comfortable than ever before. When Mike laughed she grinned at the way his chest felt beneath her. It was almost enough to make her giggle, but she was a little too tired for that. Her hand moved up to run through his hair lazily again when he mentioned her being sleepy and she let her eyes fall shut, "Hush, Shang. Only I can mention people being sleepy." Her words were soft as she snuggled a little more into him when he moved down. She'd rolled over almost completely at this point so that she could stay comfortable. For a few seconds she just smiled, ran her hand through his hair, and listened as he hummed. "Oh, mom would love a hat!" she said with as much enthusiasm as she could in her dreamy state of mind. "Dad and daddy will be happy with anything that comes from you, I think. They just want to see you. Honestly you're almost all they ever ask about anymore. I'm starting to think they might love you more." She joked and wrinkled her nose at the idea before grinning again, "What about your dad? Can you think of anything he might like? I want him to know we miss him too, and I know you do too… I just don't know what he would be interested in. What if we bought him something nice from one of the stores here, a wallet or something? Men like wallets…" Rachel frowned at her suggestion and slowly opened her eyes. She was stumped when it came to Mike's dad. As much as she loved Mr. Chang she honestly didn't know him very well, and she wanted to change that.

Mike Chang

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" Mike scrunched up his face and stuck his tongue out at her when she told him to hush. The effort was made with half strength because he was probably even a little more sleepy than she was. He slung an arm around her waiste when she snuggled in closer, enjoying the closeness because of how cold he was. It was a bad move on her part, but Rachel started to run her fingers through his hair and his eye lids were heavy until he gave in to letting them close. Mike was listening to her, in fact he heard every word, but he was just mumbling affirmations. Pulling his bottom lip into his mouth, he let his lip slowly slip out of place as it scraped against his teeth. "Yeah.. hat. Awesome." Mike tilted his head to the side and slid in closer so that she could reach the back of his head with her finger tips. He shifted his leg in between her legs, but shifted it a little further up when he felt his zipper get caught in the seam of her pajamas. "I was planning a present for them for a while so I went and got play bills signed by everybody at your Spring Awakening show, Guys and Dolls and my RENT show. It's a little corny but I know they'll love it. Got em framed and everything." he brought his index finger up to his head and tapped his temple. "Thought ahead." Mike gave a smirk even though his eyes were closed. For once, he was finally prepared and he would be gloating a lot more if he wasn't still sleepy. He gave a little chuckle and hooked his thumb into her belt loop. "I love them too. I just talked to pops the other day and helped him with his sport terminology then I get a call from dad saying that he said the football team they were watching had no idea how to make homeruns then he belted out GOAL when the team made a touch down." Mike couldn't help but laugh a bit louder, leaning his head into her shoulder to muffle the sounds. "I swear I died a little inside because of how hard I was laughing." Pulling back a little, he cocked his eyebrow. "Love me more than they're 'little gumdrop'. I think not," Mike mocked one of the many nicknames they had for her. He stiffened up a bit when Rachel mentioned his dad and he moved up to reach for the blanket on the side of the couch. "Dad's a sensible guy. He's gonna want something sensible so a wallet will work. Or, a good bottle of wine." Mike tried to move back to his spot, but got snagged on the hem of her pajamas again. "Geezis Rae." He looked down at the issue and started to fidget with the hem, getting his zipper free. "Anyway…" He put the blanket over them and got back into the position he had before. "You know how dad can be… I think he'll always have some judgment to pass about anything we get him. Besides, he'll be too busy lecturing me on the divorce and how it's a disgrace to the Chang name." Mike did his best imitation of his father. "You're the first Chang to ever fail at marriage." He rolled his eyes. "She's the cheater and somehow I failed. Crazy old man…"

Rachel Berry

When Mike shifted Rachel didn't think about it because she was still comfortable. Her attention was instead on him and what he was saying. If she didn't know how much he loved it when she ran her fingers through his hair she would've stopped but at this point she was tired and it was almost a habit, so having that to do kept her from falling asleep. Rachel felt her lips turn up in a proud smile as Mike spoke about her dads. Not only had he thought ahead to have something for them, but he was talking to them. She loved that about Mike. Nobody else would do that but him. Her heart swelled with a new wave of adoration and love she held for the man she called her best friend. Rachel felt herself giggling when he mentioned one of her dads's nicknames for her. "Oh stop it," she said playfully and momentarily stopped running her fingers through his hair so she could tap his chest. "Look at you with your 'thinking ahead' and planning, I think I'm starting to finally rub off on you." She said with a smirk before moving her hand back up to run her fingers through his hair again. Rachel loved Mike's laugh. Even though he'd stopped laughing before she spoke she could still hear it and she couldn't get enough. When he grabbed a blanket she felt him stiffen up but knew better than to say anything. It was only because she'd mentioned his dad so there really wasn't anything she could do but to let it pass. Instead of pressing the topic she nodded to show that she understood and made a mental note to go out before they went out of town and pick out either a wallet or a nice bottle of wine for his dad. When he said her name she looked up at him and then followed his gaze before laughing, "Hey, that isn't my fault!" She said and shook her head as she watched him free his zipper of her pants. Before she could look up at him again she swallowed hard and blinked away the thoughts that were suddenly coming to mind. Rachel could've cursed herself for bringing up his father when she realized he was still bothered by it. His imitation might have made her laugh if she wasn't feeling so bad about it. "Hey," she said with a soft voice, using the hand that had been in his hair to turn his face so she could catch his gaze, "You didn't fail and you know that. Just let him say whatever he's going to say but don't let it get to you. You know that none of it is true."

Mike Chang

Mike laughed again when he felt Rachel slap his chest, letting his eyes open. "Ow.. Careful! I'm fragile." He stuck his tongue out at her and winked, pulling her hand up to his lips for a quick kiss. Her fingers went back through his hair, but he kept his eyes locked onto hers. "Oh god…. Let's hope the habit doesn't stick. I can't be…responsible. I just can't," he joked and flashed a boyish smile. "What? This is so your fault! Damn pjs," he said as he scrunched up his face playfully as if he were upset. Mike cocked his eyebrow at the way Rachel reacted to his touch, even though he did his best to not touch her. He wondered if he had done something to make her uncomfortable or if he had somehow scratched her. "Sorry if I scratched you or something." He ran his thumb across the skin to sooth any scratch he may have left.

Mike never felt more at ease then when he was here with Rachel. They could talk about anything from the good to the bad, but this was where he felt safe. Even talking about his father or his baby issues couldn't ruin this place for him. Nothing could break the tranquility. The only difficult part was waking up and separating, at least for him. He looked up when her voice rang whispered to him and her hand turned his attention. His eyes were soft and innocent as they stared into hers. It was weird how well she knew his relationship with his father. There had been, on occassion, when Michael Sr made it clear that he wasn't fond of Rachel and those were pretty much the only moments when Mike would actually argue with him without any sign of fear. Mike put his hand over hers and the softness of her skin was never more apparent than it was then. "I'll be fine… because you'll be there. You don't have to worry about me." Mike leaned in and pressed his lips to her cheek, lingering longer than he intended. Pulling away slowly, he grazed his nose with hers by accident and realized how close they were. "I know you're not going to listen to me about that, but I kinda have to say it…" Mike said to break the heat of the closeness. He kissed her nose, still holding onto her hand, and pulled away a little more to leave space. Moving her hand up around his neck, he snuggled in and wrapped his arms around her until there was no space between them. The two of them were obviously tired and he felt an impending sleep coming onto both of them. "G'night beautiful," he said with a sleepy smile.


End file.
